Third Sunday of Easter, Fr. Rick, homilist
On October 31, 1517, Augustinian monk, priest and theologian Martin Luther sent a letter to Bishop Albert of
Mainz, opposing the practice of selling indulgences. He included a copy of a disputation of his on the power and
efficacy of Indulgences, which came to be known as the Ninety-Five Theses. It can be said that this date marks,
for many, the start of the Reformation. This 500th anniversary of this moment in time is being celebrated this
year. The Reformation definitely changed the Western Christian Church.
What prompted this action of Martin Luther to call for reform? It was born out of insight. While preparing a
lecture on Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Luther was struck by the words, “The just will live by faith.” He pondered
these words and eventually received an enlightenment. His earlier experience of Christianity had been one of
fear and of trying to prove oneself before God. Now he understood that God offers grace freely, one is to live
by faith, not by trying to make oneself acceptable to God, and certainly not to have an unhealthy fear of God.
It gave him boldness.
In today’s reading from the Acts, Peter is bold, empowered with the Spirit of God. Being bold is not out of
character for this fisherman turned preacher, though his boldness was at times inappropriate. Remember in the
story of Jesus’ transfiguration with Peter, James and John and the vision of Jesus with Moses and Elijah, Peter’s
outburst, “Should we build dwellings for each of you?” No, Peter. Just take in the moment.
You know the story in Matthew, when Peter boldly rebuffs Jesus about his upcoming suffering; Jesus reprimands
this well-meaning, but somewhat oblivious fisherman who eventually leads the church. You also recall the story
where Jesus attempts to wash Peter’s feet. Boldly Peter protests; Jesus corrects him; Peter becomes overly
enthusiastic, at which point Jesus must have rolled his eyes. Then there is Jesus’ foretell of Peter’s threefold
denial, followed by Peter’s bold rejection of this prophecy, only for Peter to be proven wrong.
The boldness of this Pentecost Apostle is built on what he learned through his following of Jesus. What he
learned and experienced from Jesus was the foundation. It would seem his resurrection experience of Jesus
gave him more clarity. From that base and clarity, he was readied with the Spirit’s help to share.
Now he stands as a Jewish man among his countrymen, boldly representing the One he previously didn’t quite
understand. This excerpt from Acts is taken from the story of the Spirit’s gift at Pentecost, a celebration we will
commemorate on June 4. Today, we get a taste of Peter’s enlightened boldness.
We walk with two men making a seven-mile journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus, talking about what has recently
happened in Jerusalem. Other than the name of one of them, Cleopas, we know precious little about them. They
are followers of Jesus we believe since they were with the others when they all went to Jesus’ tomb. Joined by
a third person, the two share with him what they experienced.
I find this story about other followers of Jesus interesting. They were not part of the 12 or even the women who
followed him. Much of the Gospels have Jesus with the 12 present, especially Peter, James, and John, as they
are being formed by Jesus and his teachings. But others who may not have had the freedom to physically follow
him, how were they formed by Jesus? In this story, the Resurrected Christ provides some formation and
enlightenment for these two men.
The power of Jesus is not confined to his resurrection. That was the vindication of who he was and what he
taught. His power is also within his very life and teachings. Within his community of followers and others who
listened to him, Jesus demonstrated an understanding that God has been active with the people of the covenant.
As we know from the Hebrew scripture, that relationship had its ups and downs. Jesus brought enlightenment.
Among the things he did, he reminded his listeners about the purpose of religious observance: The Sabbath is
made for humanity, not humanity for the Sabbath. In his actions, he paid no heed to becoming ritually impure.
His commitment was to reconcile people with their God.
In spite of the antagonism Jesus experienced with various religious people, he remained respectful of God’s
activity with the people of the covenant. His boldness was not one of denying the Law and the Prophets but a
boldness of representing a loving and reconciling God. His boldness was also inviting people to live a new way
of being consistent with the nature of God which is to love.
The story of the Emmaus walk, after the confusion and excitement of Jesus’ resurrection and of the mysterious
stranger joining them, serves as a symbol of the ongoing process of formation and enlightenment. It was Martin
Luther’s experience as he broke free of a fear-based Christianity to a faith-based one. Did this make him perfect?
No. Unfortunately like many of his time, he had a strain of anti-Semitism within his thinking. But Luther
challenged the people of his time to look closely at what they believed. Even the Roman Catholic Church took
on the challenge to correct abuses through the 18-year long Council of Trent reform. There was boldness in
Luther’s newfound insight.
There was boldness in Peter’s presentation at Pentecost; not the rash boldness of the earlier Peter, but the
boldness of one formed by his faith experience and now empowered by the Spirit. Was Peter perfect after this
momentous oration? No. Later, the Apostle Paul had to chastise him about an inconsistency regarding Gentile
Christians, but that’s another homily.
Formation; enlightenment; boldness. There has been a significant shift in the worldviews of first-century Israel
and 16th-century Europe to our 21st-century worldview. The development of science has caused us to reexamine our way of looking at our world and universe. For some people of faith, this has been a threat. For
others, it has been something at which to marvel. It can give us pause to express gratitude to God for what is an
incredibly beautiful and complex creation. Yet we still need formation, enlightenment and boldness.
We remain a people on a journey, far longer than the 7 miles of the two to Emmaus. Each Sunday through the
words of the Nicene Creed, we are invited to profess our trust in God the Creator, the Redeemer, and the
Enlivener. We are reminded through the Scripture readings and reflections on them that God has been, is, and
will be committed to humanity. In the Sacrament of our holy meal, we share the gift of a life nurturing us to be
bold in living our identity as followers of Christ, in a broken world where fear and anger rule. We are invited to
see the beauty behind that which is scarred, knowing God remains with us.
Our formation as followers of Christ occurs in our worship together; in helping others; in spending time in quiet,
in reflection, in meditation; in broadening our horizons through reading, studying, discussing and questioning;
and in any other ways that help us live the teachings of Jesus which assists us in being the children of God we
are at our inner core of being. The enlightenment we need to help fuel us, from where will that come? It comes
from the Spirit, the Enlivener, in whatever way the Spirit chooses. But we don’t sit and wait. We act boldly in
living the teachings of Jesus, being children of God and extending ourselves for the good of others. And we do
it with God’s help! Amen!